Every child in Ireland should be given €130 a year towards a sports or cultural activity, Sinn Féin has said.
The €127m proposal — which the party dubbed “an Olympic-sized moonshot” — would see every child between the ages of four and 18 receive a card worth €130 which they could spend on extracurricular sports or arts activities and is based on a childhood prevention substance abuse system run in Iceland.
The party’s policy document on the proposal says that youth diversion plans like the Icelandic model have been used to divert people away from alcohol and drug misuse, and other risk behaviours, “by enhancing their relationships, lifestyle, environment and wellbeing”.
The Frístundakortið , or recreation card scheme, was first introduced in 2007 by Reykjavík City Council and is now worth around €500 a year per child. Under the Sinn Féin proposal, the Department of Children would be tasked with the creation of a digital platform which would allow parents to register their children for the Activity Card which would require a valid PPS number, and proof of identity and address.
When this process is completed, a digital card to the value of €130 would be issued, with the department’s website carrying details of all eligible activities.
It adds that clubs and activity providers participating in the scheme will “need to have good governance in place that clearly shows transparency, responsibility, accountability”.
The document says that while €127m per year would be spent, this would be recouped in social benefit.
“According to research published by the Federation of Irish Sport, for every €100 invested in sport by the Irish Government, the Exchequer receives up to €195 back through taxes on sports-supported expenditures and incomes, and we have known for almost two decades that half of the money invested by the State in arts funding later comes back to the Exchequer in taxation.
“Expenditure on culture and sport is important for our social and economic development given the associated benefits with sporting activities, such as health and wellbeing, social and cultural development, tourism and the economy.”
Sinn Féin spokesperson for Gaeilge, Gaeltacht, Arts, Culture, Tourism and Media, Aengus Ó Snodaigh said that in light of the Olympic successes of Team Ireland in recent weeks, the card makes sense.
“We know from research by the ESRI and Barnardos that up to to 20% of children drop out of individual activities due to the financial cost of the sport, and parents are struggling to cover subscription fees and the cost of kits and equipment. Only half of those involved in structured cultural activities outside school at age nine remain involved by the time they reach 13.”